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THE NEUROSCIENCE OF SELF-CONTROL

Why can't some people stop themselves from doing things that are bad for them? Why can't some people stop themselves from doing things that hurt others? These questions have puzzled philosophers, economists, and psychologists for centuries. The truth is that we still don't know much about why some people are really good at flexibly adapting their behavior, forgoing short term rewards to maximize long term gains, while others appear to be so bad at it. This nagging question motivates our interest in understanding the factors that shape individual differences in self-control.